Table 29. Experience of school principals, by school type and selected school characteristics: 2003–04

School type and selected school characteristics

Percentage who held selected school positions before becoming a principal

Average number of years as principal in any school

Average number of years as principal in current school

Department head

Curriculum specialist or coordinator

Assistant principal or program director

Guidance counselor

Library media specialist/librarian

Athletic coach/athletic director

Sponsor for student clubs/debate teams

All schools

35.4

24.1

62.1

8.1

1.6

31.1

49.8

8.3

4.8

All public schools

35.6

23.4

68.0

7.5

1.3

33.9

52.7

7.8

4.3

School classification

Traditional public

35.4

23.1

68.2

7.5

1.2

34.1

52.7

7.8

4.4

Charter school

43.3

37.8

58.0

5.2

2.9

24.2

53.3

6.1

2.6

Community type

Central city

34.4

33.6

78.2

8.7

1.6

20.3

48.2

7.4

4.0

Urban fringe/large town

35.0

22.8

71.9

6.7

1.1

32.9

53.3

7.9

4.4

Rural/small town

37.6

15.2

51.6

7.7

1.3

48.2

55.9

7.9

4.6

School level

Elementary

31.3

24.9

66.6

6.9

1.3

25.7

47.5

7.9

4.3

Secondary

46.1

18.9

78.3

8.8

1.0

54.6

67.0

7.5

4.2

Combined

44.1

23.0

49.2

9.1

1.8

48.1

59.7

7.4

4.4

Student enrollment

Less than 100

45.0

23.3

52.7

8.7

1.1

34.2

52.8

7.8

4.1

100–199

34.3

19.7

44.0

6.6

2.1

41.1

51.8

8.8

4.8

200–499

32.6

23.6

59.5

7.2

1.1

31.1

48.6

7.8

4.5

500–749

33.2

23.0

77.7

6.8

1.4

31.1

51.4

7.7

4.2

750–999

37.0

24.7

88.8

7.0

1.0

30.7

55.3

7.2

3.8

1,000 or more

45.4

25.7

92.4

10.0

1.4

47.4

70.3

7.3

4.1

All BIA schools

50.0

31.1

57.8

8.3

4.1

33.8

52.3

8.0

3.1

All private schools

34.9

26.2

43.5

9.9

2.6

22.2

40.4

10.0

6.5

School classification

Catholic

43.5

31.7

52.1

6.5

2.0

21.6

57.4

10.5

5.8

Other religious

30.2

21.7

38.6

11.0

3.2

25.3

33.8

9.5

6.3

Nonsectarian

33.8

28.4

43.1

12.0

2.2

16.7

33.4

10.5

7.6

Community type

Central city

35.6

29.0

45.0

10.8

1.9

21.9

44.1

10.0

6.7

Urban fringe/large town

36.2

26.7

46.4

9.3

3.1

20.7

39.4

10.6

6.8

Rural/small town

28.8

18.1

31.0

10.2

2.8

27.6

35.6

8.1

4.9

School level

Elementary

31.7

27.8

40.9

6.3

2.6

16.4

37.8

9.9

6.2

Secondary

47.7

26.7

60.8

17.1

0.3

34.2

59.0

9.3

5.4

Combined

37.3

22.9

43.5

15.0

3.4

30.2

40.2

10.3

7.4

Student enrollment

Less than 100

24.9

22.7

33.6

9.9

3.4

15.3

25.4

8.9

6.4

100–199

40.1

29.3

43.6

8.7

2.1

25.0

45.6

9.8

5.7

200–499

44.4

28.4

54.9

9.2

1.7

28.0

55.2

11.6

6.9

500–749

53.4

34.9

63.4

13.5

2.6

32.7

67.2

12.6

7.4

750 or more

44.0

25.6

74.1

20.2

2.3

43.8

74.7

12.2

8.1

NOTE: BIA school refers to schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that are operated by the BIA, a tribe, or a private contractor and not by a regular school district.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey, 2003–04, Public School Principal, BIA School Principal, and Private School Principal Data Files.